World Cup 2026: Can Germany’s football team save the government? | Berlin Briefing Podcast

As the World Cup kicks off, football turns political. With Donald Trump, visa controversies, and a struggling government back home, one question stands out: can the “Mannschaft” lift Germany’s mood — and can politicians benefit from it? In this episode of Berlin Briefing, host Max Hofmann discusses with DW’s Chief Political Editor Michaela Küfner, sports and politics expert Florian Bauer, and DW sports reporter Jonathan Harding whether this is the most political World Cup yet — and whether success on the pitch can translate into a boost for Berlin. 00:00 Intro 01:22 How political is the World Cup? 05:03 Politicians & the Mannschaft 06:04 How strong is Germany? 07:39 Can players stay neutral? 10:24 Merkel and Merz 13:06 Does football help politicians? 17:33 Germany’s mood problem 19:48 Why this feels different 23:52 Government under pressure 26:20 Can football change politics? 31:23 What if Germany loses? 35:15 Predictions 36:70 End DW Berlin Briefing on Apple Podcasts: DW Berlin Briefing - Inside German politics Spotify: DW Berlin Briefing - Inside German politics Subscribe Berlin Briefing Newsletter: Newsletter Registration For more news go to: News and current affairs from Germany and around the world Follow DW on social media: ►Instagram:   / dwnews   ►TikTok:   / dwnews   ►Facebook:   / ►twitter:   DW News (@dwnews) / X Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie:    / dwdeutsch   Subscribe:    / deutschewelleenglish   For more news go to: http://www.dw.com/en/ Follow DW on social media: ►Instagram:   / dwnews   ►TikTok:   / dwnews   ►Facebook:   / deutschewellenews   ►Twitter:   / dwnews   Für Videos in deutscher Sprache besuchen Sie:    / dwdeutsch   Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/deutsche... #berlinbriefing #worldcup #germany #football #dwgermanpolitics